![]() | Resources | No.51 September 2007 |
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Pedersen, P. M., Miloch, K. S., and Laucella,
P C. (2007). Strategic sport communication . Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
ISBN: 10: 0-7360-6524-5
Cost: $62.00 USD
Strategic Sport Communication is the first textbook of its kind to encapsulate
content germane to undergraduate North American students who are enrolled
in professional preparation in the field of sport communication. This
text appears to be appropriate for those majoring in sport management
as well as those in mass communication whose interests lie in sport.
The organization of the text is one that seems appropriate for a North
American audience, including learning objectives, a profile of a professional
in the area of sport communication, the body of the chapter, a spotlight
on an important concept or event, a chapter wrap-up, including a summary
and review questions, discussion questions, group activities, individual
exercises and internet sites for additional learning. Learning objectives
include the terms to recognize, to learn about, to become acquainted
with, to understand, to comprehend, and to consider. While there seems
to be some incongruity between learning objectives and review questions
and discussion questions in their levels of processing, objectives and
questions cover similar content. Profiles of field-based professionals
(fourteen in the text) represent eight white males, one black male,
four white females and one team (American football). Thirteen of the
fourteen are Americans. The body of each chapter is presented in a straight-forward,
easy-to-understand language that undergraduate students can enjoy. Content
includes basic definitions of terms, examples of concepts and issues
and sufficient photos to keep the reader’s attention. Content
in the chapters of “Careers in sport communication”, “History
and growth of sport communication” and “Sport communication
research” appear to be particularly rich. The historical portion
is set in the context of the era and the significant impact of the era
relative to writing and journalism. Key characteristics of the Golden
Age of Sport seem particularly well done so that students can grasp
the meaningful contributions of those who participated during that era.
There is, however, an underrepresented area in movies, films and documentaries.
There is an absence of contributions from the legendaries Lenni Riefenstahl
and Bud Greenspan. Spotlights in each chapter provide a more in-depth
view of concepts and events discussed. Each chapter wrap-up provides
an excellent summary of concepts set forth. Review and discussion questions
have been designed using lower order critical thinking skills language
(Bloom’s Taxonomy); professors may find them helpful to design
analysis and synthesis-related questions for tests. Activities and exercises,
again, appear appropriate for a North American audience. Many of the
activities and exercises focus on American football and other professional
sports that are appreciated by a globally regional audience. Internet
sites included appear to be regionally based as well, focusing on many
sites with United States origins. Overall, the organization of the text
is quite good, making navigation simple and meaningful for students.
Textbook content in most chapters is sufficiently detailed to provide
undergraduate students with breadth and depth in areas of sport communication
that have never before been encapsulated in the same text. The authors
are to be applauded for collecting a vast amount of information referred
to as sport communication and placing it literally at the fingertips
of readers. The chapter involving organizational and leadership communication
falls somewhat short of the mark, however, in its discussion of styles
of sport leadership communication. Communication style is detailed with
a good figure describing situational supervisory styles in sport communication.
The most contemporary leadership styles used in sport leadership and
organizational communication are absent from the discussion.
Part II of the text examines the conceptual and practical aspects of
sport communication. A Strategic Sport Communication Model (SSCM) illustrates
the sport communication process and categorizes aspects of communication
in sport. Using a three-pronged approach, the authors have simplistically
displayed the complexity and breadth of sport communication. It appears
to be the first documented conceptualization of sport communication
as an emerging discipline. The chapter on personal communication is
particularly valuable for a North American readership, as nonverbal
communication involving environmental factors, vocalics, chronemics,
physical characteristics, proxemics, haptics and kinesics are discussed.
Qualities of effective interpersonal communication are also offered,
as is communication using verbal messages. The chapter on electronic
and visual sport communication offers an outstanding synopsis of contemporary
technological advances in the field. The influence of television on
journalism, cable television and diversity of programming on cable are
explained with clarity. Showcasing sport through films and documentaries
touches only lightly on some of the classics that molded the documentary
field. Clearly absent is any acknowledgement of Riefenstahl’s
Olympia and scarce recognition of films/documentaries relating to women,
and women of color, in sport are included.
Chapter 13, “Sociological aspects of sport communication”,
might provide students with some of the most interesting insights included
in the text. Learning objectives focus on the understanding of the impact
of sport media on society, the consideration of how sport media create
and reinforce social myths, the appreciation of sociocultural, historical
and political elements of sport communication, the recognition of the
role of sport communication in the maintenance of the status quo relative
to race, gender, nationalism and violence and the familiarization with
roles of mainstream versus alternative media in the promotion of diversity
through hiring processes and portrayals of ethnic minorities. The authors
highlight issues relating to race and ethnicity, particularly the media’s
coverage of African Americans, Latin Americans and majority women. Several
of the most recent sociological issues of interest, however, appear
to be missing or scarcely mentioned: sport and development, sport and
social change, the Paralympics, Special Olympics, diversity representation
in the sport media and ethical behavior in sport and in the sport media.
Legal issues in sport communication are highlighted in Chapter 14.
Using United States law as a base, the authors have defined the limits
of the press and provided insight into legal issues relative to the
sporting public. The inclusion of international law and the media, specifically
sport media, might have set the tone for student understanding of the
complexity of legal issues relating to the Olympic Games, World Championships
and other international mega-events.
The chapter on legal issues in sport communication is the last one.
After reading the last sentence of the last chapter, there seems to
be an abrupt ending to the entire text. Generally, textbooks provide
a culminating chapter about future opportunities and challenges of the
discipline. The professor might need to create some type of discussion
about future opportunities and challenges of the emerging discipline
known as sport communication. It might also be helpful to revisit parts
of Chapter 2, “Careers in Sport Communication”, so that
students are reconnected with previous chapters.
Strategic Sport Communication is the most valuable text for North American
undergraduate students studying in the areas of sport management and/or
mass communication with an interest in sport in order to gain a comprehensive
understanding of the emerging discipline of sport communication. The
authors have provided the first comprehensive text on the topic by introducing
sport communication through chapters on the study of sport management
and sport communication, sport communication careers, history and growth
of sport communication, a sport communication Strategic Sport Communication
Model, personal sport communication, organizational and leadership communication
in sport, sport publishing and print sport communication, electronic
and visual sport communication, online sport communication and the new
sport media, sport advertising, public relations and crisis communication
in sport, sport communication research, sociological aspects of sport
communication and legal issues in sport communication. In short, professors
who are responsible for the delivery of a course dealing with sport
communication will benefit greatly from the text’s organization,
content and chapter wrap-ups in order to facilitate student learning.
Undergraduate students will benefit from the ease in which the text
is written, its organization, and its multifaceted scope of the field
of sport communication.
Contact
Darlene A. Kluka, Ph. D.
Extraordinary Professor University of Pretoria Department of Biokinetics, Sport and Leisure Sciences Pretoria, South Africa Email: darlene.kluka@up.ac.za oreyesport@aol.com ![]() http://www.icsspe.org/portal/index.php?w=1&z=5 |